


They Had It Coming

by Nyxierose



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: AU, Cell Block Tango, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2013-01-04
Packaged: 2017-11-19 14:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyxierose/pseuds/Nyxierose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The five merry murderesses (and one solitary murderer) of Downton tell their stories. AU!fic inspired by "Cell Block Tango".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two Warning Shots (Sybil)

"I was six months pregnant and stuck in a city I didn't understand - and I did mean stuck. Tom did his best, we both knew that, but he said it wasn't safe for me to go wandering around and I listened to him. Instead, I floated around our flat and learned housekeeping the hard way. It was a good life, except that I was all emotional and a general disaster. It wasn't going to end well, we both knew _that_ , but we tried.

"So one night Tom was supposed to get home about three hours earlier than he did. I lived for the moments we were together, as rare as they'd become, and he'd told me he was going to be back earlier than usual. Instead, later, late enough that I was a worrying wreck by the time he turned up. Well, did I have words for him! He tried to apologize, same as any rational man might, but I wasn't having any of that. I'd spent two hours convinced he was dead in an alley someplace, and 'sorry' was not enough. Of course, he didn't get it. Why would he? Like my mother always said, emotions are primarily carried in the female line.

"We fought for a little while, which was strange because usually I caved in and understood what he'd meant to do. Well, not this night. Eventually I started threatening him - never mind that I'd never used a gun before in my life. We had a pistol underneath a couch in our flat, and after a while I pulled it out and pointed it at him. He said I wouldn't do it, but I closed my eyes and waited for the sound. Funny how that changes you. As soon as I knew I'd done it, I panicked. I'd figured I'd get lucky and end up shooting that awful vase Edith gave us as a wedding present, not shooting... him.

"Oh, I panicked. I ran the couple of feet over to where he was and I kissed the spot where the bullet had made impact and I put the gun in his hands as if he'd done himself in. I nearly convinced the police as much, except that our next-door neighbor had heard us fighting and knew better. I didn't mean to do it, though. I loved him. I still love him."


	2. Single, My Ass (Edith)

"It was supposed to be the best day of my life - getting married, finally getting out from under my family's umbrella, finally becoming my own person. Never mind that the last time this was supposed to happen, I ended up turned down at the altar. This time I had a back-up plan. If Anthony didn't follow through, if the reform didn't last as long as we all hoped... well, that was what knives that could fit in shoes were for. My sisters knew, of course, but that was to be expected. After all, someone had to know not to stop me.

"It turned out even worse than I expected. He didn't even turn up until twenty minutes after he was supposed to. What kind of groom misses his own wedding? And when he surfaced, he started into some epic apology about how he was dreadfully sorry but he really couldn't take me as his wife. Well, I wasn't going to have any of that. I kicked off my shoe, pulled out my knife, and made sure no one would  _ever_ forget the second time I was supposed to marry Anthony Strallan. It was worth it."


End file.
